Posted By Lindsay Jones On September 20, 2010 @ 10:37 pm In General Broncos | No Comments

A number of current Broncos contacted Monday night said they were not ready to talk about the death of teammate Kenny McKinley, who apparently committed suicide Monday afternoon.

But several former teammates, both from here in Denver and from the University of South Carolina, where he set school records for career catches and receiving yards.

Said former Bronco tight end Tony Scheffler: “Kenny was a great kid with all the talent in the world. He was constantly smiling and those smiles often got a lot of us through the hard days of an NFL week. My heart goes out to his family and teammates.”

Here are several reactions from former Gamecocks teammates, courtesy of The State newspaper in Columbia, S.C.:

Former quarterback Blake Mitchell, a teammate for three years: “Oh man, he is a great, great guy. The thing you remember about him is that smile he always had on his face. It’s kind of hard to believe,” Mitchell said. “Everyone I have talked to says I don’t see him doing that. That’s just… he always was upbeat and always a happy guy.

Linebacker Eric Norwood, now with the Carolina Panthers: “I never thought anything of that nature with him, even when he got hurt last year or this year,” Norwood said. “He was energetic and he had a positive outlook on things.” … “It’s a tough loss,” Norwood said. “I was just with him this summer … (he was) like the same old Kenny, give everybody a smile.”